The present invention relates to a method of knitting the selvage of a tubular knit fabric, and more particularly, a method of knitting the selvage on a double lock V-bed flat knitting machine without producing a raised seam.
Tubular or weft knit is produced on a V-bed flat knitting machine by knitting, row by row, a front sheet of fabric and a rear sheet of fabric and binding together the edges, or selvages to form a knitted fabric tube.
In knitting the selvage of a double lock tubular knit fabric with a flat knitting machine, it is known to knit the front needles when the yarn carrier is moving from right to left, and to knit the rear needles when the yarn carrier is moving from left to right. The conventional method of knitting the selvages leaves a raised seam on both the inside and the outside of the tube which makes the garment, especially close fitting garments such as socks, particularly prosthetic socks, uncomfortable to wear. Additionally, the conventional method of knitting the selvages leaves holes along the selvages further reducing the wearing comfort and the aesthetic appeal of the garment.
In another known method, the selvages are simply sewn together to form the tube. This creates a raised seam on the inside of the tube.